Milwaukee School Board Directs Administration to Gather Information for Possible Referendum

(MILWAUKEE, WI) – On Thursday, December 21, 2023, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors passed resolution 2324R-009 to locally address the funding crisis that is impacting school districts across Wisconsin, including MPS. The resolution, introduced by MPS Board President Marva Herndon and MPS Board Director Missy Zombor, directs MPS administration to gather information for a possible referendum related to budget needs.

“School districts across Wisconsin are facing budget shortfalls after years of underfunding,” said President Herndon. “We are now asking the MPS administration to gather information that will allow the Board to make an informed decision about whether a referendum is the best way to serve our students.”

Had state funding matched inflation, MPS would have more than $210 million in additional support for educational services each year. Furthermore, MPS students with disabilities are underfunded by the state by at least $50 million annually, per state-level recommendations. This chronic underfunding impacts all students.

“Public school districts around the state are having the same difficult conversations we are having about potentially closing schools, laying off staff, cutting transportation, or eliminating high-quality specialty programs,” said Director Zombor. “Even though the state is sitting on a record $6.7 billion budget surplus, the most recent budget adjustment was not even enough to match inflation for a single year.”

MPS administration will bring a proposal forth during the January Board cycle. Once a proposal is made, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors will make a decision about a referendum for the April 2024 ballot.

MPS is asking for community input to develop solutions to address the budget shortfall. All Milwaukee residents are asked to share their feedback with MPS by taking a brief online survey. Milwaukee residents can access the survey here.

MPS has been taking proactive measures to evaluate and address these challenges through the dedicated efforts of its budget team, strategic plan, and advocacy to state and local legislators. Prior to sharing the survey publicly, hundreds attended public Budget Action Sessions that provided information about the budget shortfall.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.